Monday, August 26, 2013

#H5N1 Nepal - Bird flu: Task force formed to address agitating farmers' plea

KATHMANDU, AUG 26 - Ministry of Agriculture Development on Monday formed a task force to study the compensation granted so far by the government to the the bird-flu-affected farmers.
The task force comprises of Programme Director at the Livestock Production Directorate Dr. Dinesh Parajuli, Dr. Upendra Man Singh of Nepal Agriculture Research Council, agronomist Sunil Kumar Singh, senior livestock development officer at the Department of Livestock Services Dr. Madhav Aryal along with the Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Finance.
Speaking at a press  meet held at the Ministry of Information and Communications today, spokesperson at the Ministry of Agriculture Development Dr. Prabhakar Pathak said that a month's time has been given to the task force to study the impact of bird fluon the poultry businessmen, the state of debt stated by the poutrly farmers, the compensation received and immediate proposition to be adopted to revive the dwindling poultry business.
The Ministry shall implement the recommendations forwarded by the task force, he added. 
The outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu virus has affected several districts in the country with the three districts in the Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur in particular, being the most affected ones. 
Following which the government has already declared Bhaktapur and Kathmandu districts as the bird flu emergency zone, forbidding the sale of poultry and poultry products in the districts.

After the government culled large number of bird-flu infected fowls, the poultry farmers have been demanding rightfulcompensation of the culled chickens. 

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